1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a lidstock material suitable for making or fortifying closures, such as lids for pharmaceutical blisters. More particular embodiments include an improved lidstock for use with a child resistant, peel-push pharmaceutical blisters.
2. Background
Individual units of consumables sometimes require segregated packaging for dispensing. For example, medicine and pharmaceutical are often best housed, marketed and dispensed when needed using special packaging such as “blister packs,” each blister of which contains an individual pill. One necessary aspect of such packaging is to provide child resistance or childproofing to prevent children from easily accessing the medicine inside. With the use of such packaging, children are unable to bite through the packaging and ingest the medicine inside the package. However, the product must still be accessible to adults to permit using the medicine in the packaging.
There exists several types of packaging to provide a pharmaceutical product with child resistance. The traditional peel-push safety packaging provides a lidding having multiple layers. The multiple layers include a top paper layer allowing for printing, an adhesive layer, a nylon or polyester film layer, a release adhesive layer, foil and then a heat seal coating. The traditional packaging was sealed to a thermoformed poly-vinyl chloride blister and then opened by peeling the release adhesive layer and pushing the pharmaceutical product through the foil.
One problem that exists with such a structure is that it peels inconsistently. The structure has multiple layers being pulled away causing the structure to tear easily. It becomes more difficult to open the packaging and obtain the pharmaceutical product out of the packaging for use.
Additionally, the traditional structures have a narrow sealing window. Therefore, high seal temperatures are required to seal the lidding to the blister. Rotary and platen machines are used. Rotary machines have shorter dwell times and, thus, are less efficient with materials that have a narrow sealing window. As a result, there are often mis-seals, over-seals and damage to the package during the sealing process.
Also, the manufacturing of containers involving multiple layers of differing materials can be more cumbersome, slower, and complex than is ideal.
Thus, there is a need to provide an improved lidstock for pharmaceutical blisters that has increased burst and puncture strength for child resistance, and a lower sealing temperature. An ideal solution would also simplify the process of manufacture and/or the number of materials or feedstocks needed to efficiently and quickly produce such containers.